Amazon declares war on dodgy Fire TV Sticks, Big Short trader bets $1.1bn against AI

In a significant move to combat digital piracy, Amazon has begun a global rollout of a new system designed to block unauthorized, sideloaded applications on its popular Fire TV Stick devices. The crackdown targets the so-called ‘dodgy’ or ‘fully loaded’ Fire Sticks that have been modified to stream premium movies, TV shows, and live sports illegally, and it comes with a twist that neutralizes a common workaround. The practice of “sideloading”, installing apps from outside Amazon’s official Appstore, has allowed users to access a wide variety of piracy-enabling services for years. Tech Radar 

Online retail giant Shein says it has banned the sale of all sex dolls on its platform around the world, after being accused of displaying products with “a childlike appearance” on its website. The French consumer watchdog first raised concerns at the weekend over the description and categorisation of the dolls, saying it left “little doubt as to the child pornography nature of the content.” The company said on Monday that it had permanently banned “all seller accounts linked to illegal or non-compliant sex-doll products” and will tighten controls across its global platform. BBC 

Eufy kept things short and sweet at IFA this year, revealing four brand new gadgets that instantly caught the attention of the smart home crowd. Like most launches, we were told it’d be a few months before we’d actually get our hands on them – but the wait’s finally over, and the EufyCam S4 is now officially available to buy. The EufyCam S4 is said to be the industry’s first DIY solar-powered hybrid camera, combining a 4K fixed bullet lens with dual 2K PTZ lenses. In simple terms, that means you get 360° coverage and detailed facial recognition from up to 15 metres away. T3.com

Porn featuring strangulation or suffocation – often referred to as “choking” – is due to be criminalised, with a legal requirement placed on tech platforms to prevent UK users from seeing such material. Possessing or publishing porn featuring choking will become a criminal offence under amendments to the Crime and Policing bill tabled in parliament on Monday. In a separate amendment, victims of intimate image abuse will also have longer to come forward, with the time limit to prosecute extended from six months to three years. The Guardian 

A US investor depicted in the film The Big Short has placed a significant bet against artificial intelligence (AI). Michael Burry, who bet on a US housing market crash in the run-up to the 2007 crisis, has wagered $1.1bn (£840m) on falls in shares of chip-maker Nvidia and software company Palantir. The moves will intensify concerns about a possible bubble in AI stocks, following a surge in values driven by hopes of huge future earnings from the sector. Telegraph 

UK government departments have spent over £3.35 billion on AI contracts, infrastructure, and services since the technology first emerged in about 2018. The number of contracts has been going up each year. The biggest by far is a 2021 contract by the Met Office with Microsoft to build the world’s most powerful weather and climate forecasting supercomputer, plus a few small contracts for departments to use its Copilot AI. It’s worth more than £1bn overall.  Sky News